Golf-ball-washing apparatus



June 22 1926.

I J. R. CONKLIN GOLF BALL WASHING APPARATUS FiledMay 14, l1925 2 Sheets-Sheet l guna/tot 5 JR, @0n/um,

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UNITED STATES JAMES R. CONKLIN, OF PITTSBURG, KANSAS.

GOLF-BALL-YJASHING APAB/A'I'US.

Application filed May 14, 1925.

This invention relates to a device for Washing golf balls and it has for its object to provide a device of simple and inexpensive construction adapted to rapidly and thoroughly cleanse golf balls of mud, dirt, grass stains and the like.

Aside from the fact that it is much more pleasant to play with bright, clean balls there is a decided utility in keeping the golf balls thoroughly clean in that they are not nearly so likely to become lost and that the eye of the player may more readily follow their course.

In the accompanying drawings wherein I have shoivn the particular' embodiment of the invention chosen for purposes of illustration:

Fig. 1 is a plan vieiv of a Washer constructed in accordance With the invention.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinall sectional view therethrough.

Fig. 3 is an end elevation thereof, and

Figs. 1, 5 and 6 are transverse sections upon lines lift, 5 5 and 6-6 of Fig. 2.

Like numerals designate corresponding parts in all of the figures of the drawings.

In the drawings, 5 designates a body of elongated box-like formation, having a cover 6 that is provided With a sight opening 7, covered by a transparent pane 8. An opening 9 is formed through the cover for the entry of the golf balls that are to be Washed,

.to the interior of the casing 5. Four longitudinally extending shafts 10, 11, 12 and 13 are journaled in the end Wall 14 and in a transverse partition 15 of the easing 5, said shafts carrying gears 16, 17, 18 and 19, the gears 18 and 19 meshing with each other, the gears 16 and 18 meshing with each other and the gears 17 and 19 meshing with each other. The shaft 13 carries a bevellcd pinion 20 which meshes with. a bevelled gear 21, that is mounted upon a shaft 22. Rotation may be imparted to this shaft by a crank and handle located upon the exterior of the casing. Thus by rotating the shaft 22 rotation Will be imparted to all of the longitudinally extending shafts, through the connections described.

rlhe shafts 10 to 18 inclusive carry bristle brushes 25 at the right-hand side of a partition 26 and they carry brushes or pads of mop material 27 at the left-hand side of said partition. The partition 26 is relatively thick at the bottom of the casing but its upper portion consists of a comparatively thin Serial No. 30,233.

plate 28 and the space Within the casing 5, between the partitions 15 and 26, constitutes a u'ater receptacle in Which Water is maintained at such level that the loiver portions of the bristle brushes upon shafts 12 and 13, rotate in the Water.

A push or ejector rod 29 is slidably ,mounted in the right-hand end of the casing and in the partition 15 and said rod is provided with a head 30 shaped to engage the rearmost ball. In operation the balls are dropped through the opening .9 to a position in front of the head and when the push rod is thrust imvardly, the balls are forced in between the bristle brushes. The action of these bristle brushes. in conjunction with the Water, loosens and removes dirt and Washes the stains from the balls. The balls may be thrust through one at a time or a number of them may be placed in the inachine at a time. Rearvvard movement of the push rod is cushioned by a spring 31 that is disposed rearwardly of the head 30.

In their passage through the machine the balls pass first between the bristle brushes and then bet-Ween the brushes or pads of mop material by which they are dried and polished. The' balls are ejected through an opening 32 in the left-hand end of the device and fall into a receiving tray 83 from which they may be removed at the convenience of the operator. I preferably dispose dash plates 34 as indicated in Fig. 5, but these may be omitted if desired.

It is to be distinctly understood that the invention is not limited to the particular embodiment shown in the accompanying drawings, but that it includes Within its purview Whatever changes fairly come Within either the terms or the spirit of the appended claims.

Having described my invention, what 4I claim is:

1. In a golf ball Washing machine, the

able ejector rod movable longitudinally With respect to said brushes.

3. In a golf ball Washing machine the combination With a bristle brush and a mop, longitudinally aligned With each other of means for causing a golf ball to travel longitudinally along both of them.

ll. A device of the character described comprising a plurality of longitudinally extending shafts, each of said shafts carrying a bristle brush and a mop, and means for causing a ball to he Washed, to travel longitudinally along the brush and mop.

5. A structure as recited in claim 4 Wherein the bristle brush rotates in a liquid bath.

G. A dev'ce the character described comprising a casing having a Water receiving compartment, a plurality of shafts extending longitudinally of the casing, bristle brushes carried by said shafts and he fing their lou'- er portions disposed in the water receiving compartment, and inops carried by said shafts.

7. A structure as recited in claim 6 in combination with means for thrusting a golf ball longitudinally with respect to said brushes and inops.

8. A structure as recited in claim 6 in coinbination With a longitudinally movable push rod adapted to thrust golf balls longitudinally iith respect to said brushes and mops.

9. A device of the character described comprising an elongated casing having entrance and exit openings for golf balls formed therein, a plurality of elongated shafts therein, manually operable inter-meshlng gears carried by said shafts and arranged to cause adjacent shafts to travel in opposite directions, a. push rod adapted to engage and thrust balls longitudinally with respect to said shafts, bristle brushes carried by said. shafts through a portion of their. length and circular mops carried by shafts through another portion of their length.

l0. A device of the character described comprising an elongated casing, partitions therein forming a Water compartment, a plurality of .longitudinally extending shafts comprising an upper pair of shafts and a lower pair of shafts, intermeshing gears carried by the lower pair of shafts, gears carried by the upper pair of shafts and connecting' with the gears of the loiver shafts, means for imparting rotation to said gears, bristle brushes carried by all of said. shafts through a portion of their length and c iw lindrical niops carried by said shafts through another portion of their length.

ll.. A structure as recited in claim 10 in combination With a rod adapted to thrust `golf balls longitudinally between said brushes.

ln testimony whereof l aiiix my signature.

JAMES R. GONKLIN. 

